Community Trends in Tualatin, Oregon

Sophie Juliana

            I spoke with Monique Beikman, a Tualatin City Council member. She gave me information on trends as well as some of the programs that are being implemented in the area for school-age children in the Portland suburb, Tualatin, Oregon.

1.      The childhood obesity epidemic. While not as severe in Tualatin as other places, the city council is still taking steps to mitigate the problem. They have instituted a triathlon for kids, as well as a Walk + Bike program. The Walk + Bike program partners with school districts to encourage students to use their own feet rather than riding the bus or getting a ride from parents or friends. The goal of these programs is to encourage more activity among kids: building healthy habits young that will help them lead a healthier life. 

2.      The second initiative is related, led by the Chamber of Commerce, and is called “Fit City”. “Fit City” is exactly what it sounds like, an initiative to encourage the population to get fit. It is a group of people and businesses that provide knowledge, services and more to the population at large. The participants on the steering community range from health professionals (the Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center) to Tualatin chamber representatives. There are a range of other participants as well.

3.      Under this umbrella they have a group called “Fit Kids”, focusing on elementary and middle school age kids. The specific mission for the Fit Kids program has not yet been posted online. However, Fit City’s mission, as found on their webpage, is to “engage the greater Tualatin Community in pursuing incremental and achievable changes in lifestyle that advance personal and community goals of improved health and wellness”. This mission undoubtedly also applies to the Fit Kids program. It probably will specify to “engage the children of Tualatin. . . ”.

4.      Local Elementary schools have started their own gardens. This program has kids eat the freshly grown veggies as part of their lunch program. This encourages awareness of where food comes from. It also increases the nutritional benefit of the produce served in school lunches. The amount of vitamins A and C that come from fresh vegetables, direct from the garden, is generally higher than frozen or canned vegetables most commonly used in school lunches.

5.      Finally, Tualatin has had a strain of influenza running rampant for the past two months. It has been “a hard hitting bug that lasts awhile”. The flu is a common virus that mutates quickly. Because it is highly contagious, it spreads quickly, especially among school-age children who forget to wash their hands. Kids who exhibit flu symptoms are encouraged to stay home from school.